"The girl looked at him, puzzled. "What the hell is that?"Bill's grin was lost in the shadows. "The emergency fire escape ladders from the house." He ...ointed at the wall. "You guys boost me up, and I'll hook one over the fence. Then we climb up. Just like a ladder." He glanced around. "Come on, guys. Let's do it."Hank and Mark glanced at each other, and then shrugged. Hank backed against the wall, cupping his hands. Bill stepped into them, and then Mark helped hoist Bill up onto Hank's. She shook her head and said, ‘Mom’s working a double shift and Dad’s out plowing snow.’ ‘Snow?’ Rick said. He looked behind him. It was snowing. He was all wet. He never even noticed. ‘Take your jacket off and sit down,’ Dianna said. ‘I’ll make us some hot chocolate.’ ‘Yeah, OK,’ Rick said. He slipped his jacket off and headed for the living room. Dianna was worried. Rick looked terrible. She quickly got the hot chocolate made, then went back to the living room and sat next to Rick on the sofa.. I shook my head and almost got the image out of my mind. Almost. I added the T to the bundle of laundry and headed out.Hey, Martinez, I thought to him, whaddya think? About the bed, I mean."You know I can only sense what's in your brain. So I have no idea. It seemed like a dream of your wife to me."Not very enlightening."Maybe you should sleep with your eyes open. Then I'll be able to see while you're asleep."That'll be restful. I'll sleep like a goldfish, with my eyes open.He and I continued. She smiled and he knew she had something up her sleeve.Due to the corset, Bill could barely eat his dinner. Kim finished hers and moved back to her chair in the other room. Bill cleaned up the plates and the kitchen. She had him serve her another drink while he was trying to clean. When he was finally done with the kitchen, Kim told him to have a seat on the couch and relax. She got up from the chair and went into Miko's room. When she came back out she held a belt with two loops on it."Stand.